The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-12
Correspondence.
LETTER FROM REV. DIR. FUTILE.

A letter from Townsville, Ga, by me
and sent to THE UNIvERsALIsT, is not like
ly to prove interesting, because Thomas
vile is small town with little news il
it; because also / have not the silk
worms skill of making silk Of mulberr,
leaves; and still further, because re
igious paper does not seem to invite my
pen to such subjects as he-no pull in
tended, and no Misrepresentation pub
lie hotel which is just now nearly all Of
our world. may say first, however, in 9
religious way, that we have the
Bishop of Georgia
among us for few days. "Bishop OF
Georgia." means in this case, strictly
speaking, of course, Bishop Of the Epis-
copal Church in Georgia. What portion
of the whole population this includes 1
do not know. 1t has never seemed to me
quite fair nor modest to put clergyman's
title into such form as to make it ap-
pear on the face Of it that he counts the
whole city or state in his flock. But
Bishop Beckwith is a speaker of rare
power. I heard him preach last Sun
day in the small Episcopal chapel here.
The room was densely crowded and the
audience greatly delighted. l do not re-
memb to have heard finer speaker in
an Episcopal pulpit. He has evidently
made careful and successful study, un-
der their great masters, of rhetoric and
elocution. He has an immensely strong,
though not the clearest, voice. He might
have achieved fame on the stage. The
mighty, roaring bellows in his throat is
worked by brains. He stirred us with
his thought while he charmed us with his
style. I know nothing of his history or
Of his standing in the State. He was dra-
matte but not Extensively SO. The SER
mon, though built on few physiological
and scientific facts, was severely practical
and religiously elevating.
The Bishop read his service remark
ably well. like the Episcopal service;
that is, it's compact, simple English and
devotional power; its adaptibility to our
varied wants and experiences. 1t is the
chain which more than anything else
binds members to the Episcopal Church.
It is a wonderful attraction to large
classes of people. 1t makes worshipers
of many persons who would otherwise sit
Indifferent and as spec
tators merely. But unless my experience
in observing their worship, in joining
heartily with them when the opportu-
nifty has offered, has been unfortunate,
congregations, who by taste
and training and practice should be the
very best of readers, fall far behind that
They read too rapidly; the SER
vice is too much mumbled; sufficient time
is not given to read distinctly and with
proper emphasis; syllables, words, and
even half sentences are, from too great
haste, unavoidably dropped frequently,
by inexperienced readers especially.
do not overlook the fact in this con-
ll6CbIOug bAtt1b d WAOlO COb&tC&ootOh III
singing or reading, is apt to lag, and that
it needs whip put in the minister's ex-
ample to urge his flock forward contin-
ually. But it would be wiser to diminish
the amount of reading and lengthen the
deliberation in it.; and for the minister to
avoid, if possible, stepping on the last
words of his alternates. Bishop Beck
with moved along more slowly and much
more effectively. The words coming
from his lips seemed to mean something.
He did not run race with the congre-
cation. His prayers were less like ma
chine work. Words uttered the thou
sandth time were as fresh as ever. The
Lord be with you always" this word
+" always" came out with such delibera-
ton and earnestness that those who heard
it must always remember it. And what
did we hear there more worthy to be re-
membered? What is more inspiring and
comforting than the assurance that the
Lord is with us always; always in our
joys and in our sorrows; in the light and
in the darkness; at home and away from
home; in this world and in the world to
come" alwaysl"
We have also at our hotel, Mr.. John
Alexander, of Philadelphia, who is an
earnest member of the executive commit
tee of the
National Reform Association,
a body which has for its chief object, as
the readers of The UNIvERsALIsT will re.
member, the insertion in our national
constitution of the word "God," and a
recognition of the fact-claimed as fact
by all Christians-that Christ is the king
of all nations. While the preamble to
our national constitution acknowledges
the "Creator" and the " Supreme Judge
of the world" the constitution itself, aside
from one or two vague and Incidental ref.
erences, is religiously non-committal, and
"needs no change" ex-President Wool.
sey is reported to have said, " to adopt il
to q Mohammedan nation" Now the
National Reform Association affirms that
our government is practically atheistic
and further, that it is not in harmony
with the State constitutions, which dc
confess God and his law; that it is in
consistent with our general habits o.
administering oaths, and in asking legis
lative guarantees for the Sabbath, etc.
that it is manifestly our duty, as nation